King Lear provides a good start for the application of psychoanalytic literary theory. This makes it easy to discuss how some of the major psychoanalytic concepts may be used in order to understand Lear’s abnormal behaviour. Lear’s paranoia will be viewed through a Freudian lens. Paranoia of betrayal is a tragic flaw due to an event which happened previously in someone’s life. Freud’s theory that during the stages of development if one virtue is not met it will disable them emotionally, making them fearful and untrusting.
While reading the play, the reading could see Lear’s destructive behaviour as a lack of appropriate boundaries between himself and the people who surround him. According to the object relations theory, a baby first views …show more content…
He does not expect respect, like how any other daughter would express their love. Lear is expecting praise and adoration. Regan and Goneril catch on to Lear’s request and gives him their prais. King Lear’s daughter, Cordelia does not think it is right to give all the admiration in the world to her father, notice here: “ I’m unlucky. I don’t have a talent for putting my heart’s feelings into words. I love you as a child should love her father, neither more nor less.” (I.i 100-102). This means that Cordelia does not want to praise her father and rightfully so. From a Freudian lense this can be viewed from Freud's stages of development. This states that throughout various stages of life certain virtues must be met. During the adolescent stage between 12-19 years old (the age King Lear would have been married), the virtue that must be met is fidelity. If this virtue is not met, all others after will be impacted those such as love, care and wisdom. Lear’s wife cheated on him, she was infidel, notice this in the following: “Because if you weren’t glad, I’d divorce your dead mother, because I’d know she cheated on me. Any true daughter of mine would definitely be glad to see me.”(II.iv.120-122). This shows that King Lear’s wife was in fact unfaithful to him and he experienced infidelity. King Lear’s experience is what links his egotistic personality to Freud's lense. With the infidelity in his adolescence, he now has the feeling of constantly being betrayed, whether that be by his noblemen, his court or his
While reading the play, the reading could see Lear’s destructive behaviour as a lack of appropriate boundaries between himself and the people who surround him. According to the object relations theory, a baby first views …show more content…
He does not expect respect, like how any other daughter would express their love. Lear is expecting praise and adoration. Regan and Goneril catch on to Lear’s request and gives him their prais. King Lear’s daughter, Cordelia does not think it is right to give all the admiration in the world to her father, notice here: “ I’m unlucky. I don’t have a talent for putting my heart’s feelings into words. I love you as a child should love her father, neither more nor less.” (I.i 100-102). This means that Cordelia does not want to praise her father and rightfully so. From a Freudian lense this can be viewed from Freud's stages of development. This states that throughout various stages of life certain virtues must be met. During the adolescent stage between 12-19 years old (the age King Lear would have been married), the virtue that must be met is fidelity. If this virtue is not met, all others after will be impacted those such as love, care and wisdom. Lear’s wife cheated on him, she was infidel, notice this in the following: “Because if you weren’t glad, I’d divorce your dead mother, because I’d know she cheated on me. Any true daughter of mine would definitely be glad to see me.”(II.iv.120-122). This shows that King Lear’s wife was in fact unfaithful to him and he experienced infidelity. King Lear’s experience is what links his egotistic personality to Freud's lense. With the infidelity in his adolescence, he now has the feeling of constantly being betrayed, whether that be by his noblemen, his court or his